Italian Tennis Federation Gives Two Players 40-Day Suspensions
February 12, 2015 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Italian players Daniele Bracciali and Potito Starace were handed a 40 day suspension by the Italian tennis federation on Wednesday after a match-fixing inquiry was conducted on the two.
The inquiry was opened after an alleged July 2007 phone conversation revealed Braccial discuss a match fixing with an account who was later arrested in 2011. The match involved was against American Scoville Jenkins in Newport, Rhode Island; Jenkins won the match over Bracciali 6-2, 6-1.
In 2011, the owner of a betting parlor, who was also later arrested, is allegedly heard saying Starace agreed to tank the final of a tournament in Casablanca.
Starace lost to Spain’s Pablo Andujar 6-2, 6-1 in that match.
While Starace still says he did nothing wrong, Cremona Prosecutor Roberto DiMartino told the Associated Press in November that Bracciali somewhat admitted to fixing a match in a hearing with Italian investigators.
Both Bracciali and Starace were also suspended by the ATP Tour back in 2007-08 along with three other Italians for gambling.
Starace is ranked 170th in the world in singles but has not played a match in over four months. Bracciali lost in the Australian Open doubles first round last month with the Netherlands’ Jesse Huta Galung.
